1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to disposable prophylactic devices intended for use with mouthpieces, such as those used with snorkels and scuba gear. More specifically, the present invention relates to disposable latex-based prophylactic devices that conform to the contours of a mouthpiece and provide a physical barrier between the mouthpiece and the mouth when the mouthpiece is placed into the mouth.
2. Prior Art Statement
Many sports and recreational activities use equipment that includes a mouthpiece. Each time a mouthpiece is used, it becomes contaminated with the saliva and germs of the person using the mouthpiece. For people who own their own equipment, mouthpiece contamination is not a primary concern. However, in many instances, such as scuba diving or snorkeling, the needed equipment is often borrowed or rented. In such situations, mouthpiece contamination does become a major concern because many other people may have previously used the same mouthpiece without the mouthpiece being sanitized between uses. For instance, many people vacation in tropical third world locations such as the Caribbean, Central America and the South Pacific. At many such vacation destinations, scuba gear and snorkeling gear is available for renting. Scuba gear and snorkeling gear contain large mouthpieces that come in direct contact with the mouth, teeth and tongue of the person renting the equipment. When a person is finished with the rented equipment, it is returned to the rental center. Since mouthpieces are attached to larger pieces of equipment, the mouthpieces are often not sterilized and, in many cases, are not even washed. As a result, the person to next rent the scuba gear or snorkeling gear is exposed to the germs of the previous renter and perhaps even several of the previous renters. Even if the mouthpieces are washed, often the water used to clean the mouthpieces is not sterile and the washing process itself contaminates the mouthpieces.
Even people who own their own diving gear have difficulty keeping the mouthpiece sanitary prior to use. Diving gear such as snorkels and scuba regulator mouthpieces often come into contact with the deck surfaces of the boat prior to being used. The decks of many boats are contaminated with stagnant water, fish innards and a variety of other contaminants that a diver would not want to place in his/her mouth.
Recognizing the danger of spreading viruses and other communicable diseases, some prophylactic devices have been developed in the prior art for use with certain types of mouthpieces. Such prophylactic devices are typically designed for use on mouthpieces that extend from medical equipment. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,658 to King, entitled PATIENT MOUTHPIECE DEVICE WITH CONTAMINATION SHIELD and U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,328 to Fitz, entitled MOUTHPIECE ASSEMBLY WITH DISPOSABLE LINER FOR BREATHING APPARATUS, both show disposable protectors that attach to the mouthpiece at the end of a medical breathing tube. Although such prior art devices are useful in maintaining sanitary conditions for medical equipment mouthpieces, such prior art devices do not create watertight seals against the mouthpieces they protect. As a result, such prior art devices cannot be used on mouthpieces that are used under water, such as scuba regulator mouthpieces or snorkel mouthpieces.
Mouthpieces that are used under water, such as those used when scuba diving or snorkeling, contain an enlarged flange that is placed inside the mouth between the teeth and lips. A bite plate extends inwardly from the flange, wherein the teeth are used to firmly grip the bite plate and hold the mouthpiece in place. The lips pass over the flange of the mouthpiece and create a watertight seal around the mouthpiece. As such, when a diver is swimming under water, the water cannot pass between the lips of the diver and the mouthpiece. If a rigid prior art prophylactic device, such as those shown in the King patent or the Fitz patent, were placed around the mouthpiece of scuba equipment or a snorkel, the presence of the prophylactic device would prevent the lips from sealing against the mouthpiece. As a result, water would be able to enter the mouth of the diver at the seam between the prophylactic device and the mouthpiece. Consequently, the use of a prior art prophylactic device would render the mouthpiece unusable by a diver.
A need therefore exists for a disposable prophylactic device that can be used on a mouthpiece under water, wherein the prophylactic device prevents physical contact between the mouth and the mouthpiece yet enables the mouth to form a watertight seal around the mouthpiece. This need is satisfied by the present invention as described below.